The Research

Problem
What is a Research Problem?

•A research problem is exactly

that – a problem that someone
would like to research
(Fraenkel and Wallen, 2010).
Research Questions
•A research problem is initially
posed as a question which serves
as the focus of the researcher’s
investigation.
Characteristics
of Good
Research
Questions
Characteristics of Good Research
Questions
• Once a research question has been
formulated, researchers want to turn it into
as good question as possible. Good
research questions possess four essential
characteristics (Fraenkel and Wallen,
2010).
Characteristics of Good Research
Questions

1. The question is feasible

2. The question is clear
3. The question is significant
4. The question is ethical
The Purposes
of a Problem
Statement
The Purposes of a Problem Statement

1. Introduces the reader to the importance of the topic being

studied. The reader is oriented to the significance of the
study and the research questions or hypotheses to follow.
2. Places the problem into a particular context that defines
the parameters of what is to be investigated.
3. Provides the framework for reporting the results and
indicates what is probably necessary to conduct the study
and explain how the findings will present this information.
A research question is not the same as a thesis title, research problem, hypothesis or
research focus, although they are interrelated and support one another.

• A research question summarizes the significant issue your research will

investigate.
• The title consists of the topic and outcome of a research project.
• The research problem explains the knowledge gap your research will
address.
• A hypothesis is a predicted answer to the research question that can be
tested and is based on prior research.
• A research focus specifies the scope or domain of inquiry.
Research
Topics to be
Avoided
1. Controversial topics

• These are topics that

depend greatly on the
writer’s opinion, which
tend to be biased or
prejudicial. Facts cannot
support controversial
topics
2. Highly technical subjects

•For a beginner, researching

on topics that require an
advance study, technical
knowledge and vast
experience is very difficult.
3. Hard-to-investigate
subjects
• A topic or a subject is hard to
investigate if there is no
available data or reading
materials about it and such
materials are not updated
(obsolete).
4. Too broad subjects
•A subject or a topic that are too broad
will prevent the researcher from giving
a concentrated or in-depth analysis of
the subject matter of the research
paper.
5. Too narrow subjects

• The subjects are so limited

or specific that an extensive
or thorough searching or
reading for information
about the subject is
necessary.
6. Vague subjects
• Choosing topics like these will prevent you from
having a clear insight or focus on your study. For
instance, topics like “Some Remarkable Traits of a
Negrosanon”, “Several Comments on a Modular
System in the Department of Education”. So, avoid
using indefinite adjectives such as some, several,
many, etc.
The Value of Research
in the Area of Interest
• A research problem is a statement about an area of
concern, a condition to be improved, a difficulty to
be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in
scholarly literature, in theory, or in practice that
points to the need for meaningful understanding
and deliberate investigation. In some Social Science
Disciplines, the research problem is typically posed
in the form of a question. A research problem does
not state how to do something, offer a vague or
broad proposition, or present a value question.
It is helpful for investigator to keep in mind the following
aspects while selecting the area of problem for research –
• The problem to be chosen should be such as to be
meaningfully related to the interest of the investigator
himself/herself.
• The problem having alliance with the chain of thinking or
research already in existence can be handled more
confidently.
• The ambitious problems covering a wide range of area of
interest should be avoided and the problems of
manageable size and limits should be taken up.
• An important consideration for selecting the problem
area relates to its feasibility in terms of the application of
scientific techniques, availability of resources in terms of
money, personnel, and equipment. When the researcher
considers the points mentioned above, researcher is
essentially trying to answer some such questions as – Is
the problem researchable, interesting, research already
in existence or manageable size? Is it a new problem or
the work on the problem has already in existence?
The problem can be identified from –
(a) Advanced study and critical reading.
(b) Analysis and interpretation of the already
available evidence, practices, trends or needs
in a particular area.
Research
Background
Research Background
Research background is a brief outline of the
most important studies that have been
conducted so far presented in a chronological
order. Research background should also
include a brief discussion of major theories
and models related to the research problem.
SCOPE AND
DELIMITATIONS
• The scope details how in-depth your study is to
explore the research question and the parameters in
which it will operate in relation to the population and
timeframe.
• The delimitations of a study are the factors and
variables not to be included in the investigation. In
other words, they are the boundaries the researcher
sets in terms of study duration, population size and
type of participants, etc.
Conceptual
Framework
CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
• It is a structure which the researcher believes
can best explain the flow of the natural
progression of the phenomenon to be studied
(Camp, 2001).
• It is the organization of research variables
wherein research problem would be explored.
It is arranged in a logical structure to aid
provide a picture or visual display of how
ideas in a study relate to one another (Grant &
Osanloo, 2014).
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
• Conceptual framework shows the series of action the
researcher intends carrying out in a research study
(Dixon, Gulliver &
• Gibbon, 2001). The framework makes it easier for the
researcher to easily specify and define the concepts
within the problem of the study (Luse, Mennecke &
Townsend,2012).
• Miles and Huberman (1994) opine that conceptual
frameworks can be graphical or in a narrative form
showing the key variables or constructs to be studied
and the presumed relationships between them.
The Importance of Conceptual Framework in
Research
• The conceptual framework guides the researcher in his investigation to achieve
the objectives of the study. It offers many benefits to a research. For instance, it
assists the researcher in identifying and constructing his/her worldview on the
phenomenon to be investigated (Grant & Osanloo, 2014). It is the simplest way
through which a researcher presents his/her asserted remedies to the problem
s/he has defined (Akintoye, 2015). It accentuates the reasons why a research
topic is worth studying, the assumptions of a researcher, the scholars s/he
agrees with and disagrees with and how s/he conceptually grounds his/her
approach (Evans, 2007). Akintoye (2015) posits that the conceptual framework
is mostly used by researchers when existing theories are not applicable or
sufficient in creating a firm structure for the study.
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

• A research hypothesis is a
statement of assumption or
prediction that will be tested by
research.
LITERATURE
REVIEW
LITERATURE REVIEW
• literature review is an objective, thorough summary and critical
analysis of the relevant available research and non-research literature
on the topic being studied (Hart, 1998; Cronin, et al., 2008). Its goal is
to bring the reader up to date with current literature on a topic and
form the basis for another goal, such as the justification for future
research in the area. A good literature review gathers information
about a particular subject from many sources. It is well written and
contains few if any personal biases. It should contain a clear search
and selection strategy (Carnwell and Daly, 2001; Cronin, et al., 2008).
Good structuring is essential to enhance the flow and readability of the
review (Colling, 2003).
Systematic
Literature Review
Systematic Literature Review

• The purpose of a systematic literature review is to

provide as complete a list as possible of all the
published and unpublished studies relating to a
particular subject area.
Reviewer needs to present the precise criteria
used to:

(a) Formulate the research question;

(b) Set inclusion or exclusion criteria;
(c) Select and access the literature;
(d) Asses the quality of the literature includes in the
review;
(e) Analyze, synthesize, and disseminate the findings.
Searching and
selecting appropriate
articles
Analyzing and
synthesizing the
literature